Bomb carrying and releasing apparatus.



i F. L. FALES, JR.

BOMB CARRYING AND RELEASING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, Hill.

latontml Nov. 26, 1918.

Inventor v awaula4 w eu w .34 WWW/14 STATES PATENT OF ICE.

FREDERICK L. FALES, JR., MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO LEWIS W. NORTON, 0F ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-THIRD T0 JOHN GOODWIN", 0F MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOMB CARRYING AND RELEASING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. FALES, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milford, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Bomb Carrying and Releasing Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus capable of traveling through the air and having provision for automatically releasing devices or missiles as the apparatus progresses through the air.

The invention is especially adapted to be embodied in an apparatus for use in war as a means for carryingbombs or other missiles over the territory occupied by the enemy and for automatically releasing said bombs preferably at time intervals.

The apparatus is provided with a carrier for the bombs or other missiles and with a resented as extended lengthwise of the cargas bag or other means for sustaining the carrier in the air, and is further provided with means for propelling the apparatus through the air and for guiding or directing the same. The carrier is also provided with means for suspending the bombs and for automatically releasing the latter pref-' erably at time intervals, so that the bombs may be distributed over a considerable area or distance as will be described.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claim at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus embodying this invention, and

Fig. 2, a plan view of the carrier looking down below the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, (1 represents one form of carrier for bombs or other missiles b, said carrier being herein shown as an open frame work provided with longitudinally and transversely extended rods or bars 10, 12.

The carrier may be made of any suitable or desired shape and of any suitable material, preferably light metal tubing or bars. The carrier a is suspended from a device which is herein shown as a gas bag or like member 13 capable of lifting the carrier and its load and of sustaining the same in the air, and in the present instance the carrier is represented as connected with the gas bag Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 27, 1917. Serial No. 177,365.

1?) by cords, chains or the like 1 1. Provision is made for automatically propelling the carrier a through the air, which may be accomplished as herein represented by a propeller or screw 15 on a shaft 16, which is rotated by a suitable motor 17, such as an electric motor, which is herein conventionally represented and which is supplied with current by a storage battery 18, also conventionally represented, as both are well known. The carrier a is designed to carry a plurality of missiles 7), such as explosive bombs, which may and preferably will be automatically released at intervals of time, and thus permitted to drop to the ground, and in the present instance I have illustrated one method of accomplishing thisresult. To this end, the carrier on has secured to it a fuse 21, such as is now commonly used-with bombs for'igniting the same or;which may be of any kind which is capable of sustaining the bombs and of being destroyed byignition. H 3

In the present instance, the fuse 21 is reprier on opposite sides thereof and also across the same at its front end, and said fuse has one end operatively connected with a time element or clock mechanism 22, which is conventionally shown, but which operates to ignite that end of the fuse at a given time and in a manner well understood.

The other end of the fuse is preferably connected with a bomb 24:, which is preferably of the kind that is exploded by ignition for a purpose as will be described.

The fuse 21 may be secured in any suitable manner to the carrier and is represented as fastened at intervals to the cross bars 12, and said fuse is employed to sustain the bombs which may be suspended from the fuse in any suitable manner, so that the bombs may be progressively released and allowed to drop at certain intervals of time, as the fuse is progressively burnt away or destroyed by fire.

Provision is also made for guiding or steering the apparatus in a selected direction, and to this end the gas bag 13 is provided with suitable wings or rudders 25, which may be stationary or adjustable as desired or required.

The apparatus is especially designed to be used as a means for bombarding the enemy or cities, towns. ammunition depots, naval bases or like places of the enemy, for on account of the inexpensive nature of the apparatus,'large numbeis of thein may be started toward the enemy, especially at night, and by adjusting the clock mechanism or slow burning fuses, thelapse of time between the release of the bombs on one machine or apparatus may be varied from that of other machines or apparatus, with the result, that the enemy may be effectively bombed in a given locality, or a city or town may be effectively bombed.

Furthermore, by providing the carrier with the bomb 24,v which is exploded by ignition, the apparatus may be destroyediby the last bomb, so thatno trace is left for the enemy toascertain hoW it is being bombed, thereby bringing inthe elements of surprise and dread, Which Would have a very detrimental efiect upon the enemy. r From the above. description, it is evident that large cities located near the combatants engaged'in warfare could be seriously damaged by means of apparatus embodying'this invention, Without in the leastexposing the sender of the machines to any danger.

So also, it'Will be evident that theapparatus or machines 'embodylng this. invention maybe made of any size and particularly of sufiicient "size to "enabl'e'the apparatus'to 'travellong'dist ances, as, for instance; many miles, before the bombs are released, and by calculations vit would be possible for one contestant to bomb large cities located many 7 the invention to the particular construction shown.

-Glaim: v.7 7 J 1 in an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a carrier, a gas bag for sustaining it in the air, means for propelling said carrier through the air, a fuse carried by said carrier, bombs supported by said'fuse, time-controlled means for igniting said fuse. to release said bombs, and an ignitable bomb connected With said fuse and carried by saidcarrier.

In testimony whereof, I have: signed my name to this specification,

" FREDERICKTL. F nns, Jiz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for, *five; cents each-flay: addressing the, f-Commissioner of; Patents, 7

I J eshmgten, 

